Before I begin this rant, let me say that I understand that there are millions of people that sitting cubicles every day with their bodies angled in such a way that their noses are practically in a corner except for the fact that a glaring computer monitor is blocking the way. 9 solid hours of sitting, staring, clicking, waiting... and every so often feeling a bit motivated to try and make a difference.

I’m luckier than most because my position allows me an hour or so each day where I actually interact with others away from my cube, but not so much today and it's killing me. The snow is falling outside and I only know that from the conversations I overheard from other cubicles. The snow, the space, the poetry in the air as those frozen flakes of goodness float around outside are what we should be experiencing and enjoying.

29 more minutes until I can go and play.

Sometimes I get dizzy spells looking at this screen and it scares me. Is this dangerous? This cubicle life is not natural. How did we 'progress' to this?

Just yesterday I was laughing at the insanity of it all in the middle of a meeting. It was clear that the artificial energy from these computer screens, mixed with the stained beige fabric of our cubicle dividers had sucked all of the logical and creative thinking ability from our brains. A room full of professionals deciding after a two hour debate to accept that we're not living in reality and that is our top priority.

ummm.... ok. I guess I’ll walk my conditioned path back to my corner cube and start clicking away again.

21 minutes to go.

How do people sit in their cubes for years? At least I have a corner cube. These days it's more common to see a 'pod' which is actually just an enlarged cube where 4 people share it -- each one staring into their own corner with their backs to each other. Take a look sometime at the postures of people in pods. You’ll see their shoulders all hunched in as they try to find just a pinch of privacy. I was there once and had to quit my job because of it. I fought hard for my corner cube.

14 minutes...

I’ve had it. This is all I can take today. Will the cameras here send an alert employee tracking database if I leave now? There’s a camera right above my head. It’s crazy these days the way companies track your every move, your keystrokes, your phone calls. If you haven't yet, please read 1984. You’ll understand.

8 minutes to go...

For what it's worth, finding this poem online today actually inspired me to write this rant. I better go delete the cookies and history files from my browser now.

To a Friend who sent me some Roses

As late I rambled in the happy fields,
What time the sky-lark shakes the tremulous dew
From his lush clover covert; - when anew
Adventurous knights take up their dinted shields:
I saw the sweetest flower wild nature yields,
A fresh-blown musk-rose; ’twas the first that threw
Its sweets upon the summer: graceful it grew
As is the wand that queen Titania wields.
And, as I feasted on its fragrancy,
I thought the garden-rose it far excell’d:
But when, O Wells! thy roses came to me
My sense with their deliciousness was spell’d:
Soft voices had they, that with tender plea
Whisper’d of peace, and truth, and friendliness unquell’d.
-John Keats